IO gets final chance to submit report on absconding suspects

Naqeebullah murder case

KARACHI - An anti-terrorism court on Thursday gave last chance to Senior Superintendent (SSP) Police to arrest absconding accused in Naqeebullah murder case, and directed to produce them until October 31.

Investigation Officer SSP West Dr Rizwan Ahmed Khan appeared before the ATC-II with the progress report in Naqeebullah murder. However, the court expressed its dissatisfaction over the failure of the arrest of inspector Shobail Shooter and other absconding suspects.

The IO requested the court to grant him further time to comply with its order. He also ensured that he will make his full efforts in this regard. The court gave him last chance and directed to producing them in the next hearing.

During hearing of the case, the main accused Rao Anwar and other suspects appeared before the court.

Following the court’s proceeding, Rao Anwar talked to the media informally, said that the report that was produced by the IO was baseless, he again denied the allegations leveled by the prosecution regarding killing of the innocent people in fake encounters.

Replying to a query, about shifting of his residence, he said that the IO had gave wrong statement in the court, he added that he was still living at the same residence and he will appear before the court whenever he is summoned.

Suspended SSP Anwar along with 11 of his detained subordinates and 14 absconders, have been accused of abducting the Waziristan native shopkeeper and aspiring model Naqeebullah for ransom and later killing him, along with three other detainees, in a staged encounter in Karachi’s Malir area on January 13.

Anwar had gone into hiding soon after demands for his arrest in the fake encounter case had gained traction, especially on the back of protests by the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). He had then resurfaced in a dramatic manner at the Supreme Court, from where he was arrested.

Soon after his arrest, his house in Malir Cantonment was declared a sub-jail. He had later moved an application for provision of ‘B’ class facilities in Karachi’s Central Jail. The court had accepted Anwar’s application for better facilities, including an exemption from being handcuffed.

The lawyer for Naqeebullah’s father, on the other hand, expressed dissatisfaction on the trail court and submitted two identical petitions at Sindh High Court demanding to transfer the cases in another court.

Naqeeb father, Muhammad Khan stated that he was extremely disappointed at the grant of bail to Rao Anwar in the fake encounter case, considering the evidence against him, Rao being a danger to society and his attempts to damage the evidence.